Cameron’s mother, Jodi, pins the Eagle Scout Badge to his uniform while his father, DJ, looks on.

After months of hard work and dedication, Cameron Kelly of Troop 236 was awarded the Eagle Scout Badge in a ceremony held on Monday, June 2, at Forrest Burdette United Methodist Church in Hurricane. The Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in Scouting, and involves numerous prerequisites and completion of a community service project. Cameron’s accomplishments over the course of his scouting career were formally recognized in a candle lighting ceremony representing the Trail to Eagle. His accomplishments include serving in multiple leadership positions, receiving numerous awards, and completing 28 merit badges. Members of Marine Corps League Detachment 1474 were present to recognize Cameron’s Eagle Scout honor. He was presented the Eagle Badge by his mother, Jodi Kelly.

For his Eagle Scout Project, Cameron installed a bike wash station at Hurricane City Park for bikers who frequent the Meeks Mountain Trail system. The station, which is located near the Sprayground, features an elevated platform with an overhead frame for hanging bikes. Cameron worked with the City of Hurricane and Meeks Mountain Trail Alliance to design the wash station, and coordinated work crews to construct the project. City employees, volunteers from the community, and members of Troop 236 all helped Cameron achieve his project.

“I got enormous amounts of support,” he says. “I helped me understand the importance of Meek Mountain Trails and what the trails have brought to the community.”

Cameron’s choice of Eagle Scout Project was inspired by his interest in biking. He is a member of the Huntington Express, part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. He recently participated in the East Coast Regionals in Maryland, where he placed 59th out of the 159 individuals competing in his division.

“Scouting has played a very important and vital role in my life,” Cameron wrote in his mission statement. “From the time that I was in first grade and before (my brother was involved in Scouts as well) I can remember walking into Forrest Burdette United Methodist Church as a Cub Scout and heading into the basement where we held our meetings. I have made some great life-long friends and been on some extremely interesting trips that I will never forget One of these adventures was a trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico where I completed an 80+ mile backpacking trip with a group of eight other scouts and three adults. This was truly a once in a lifetime trip, in which I was able to take away some unforgettable memories.”

Cameron is currently in the 11th grade at Hurricane High School. He is enrolled in a Pre-engineering course at Putnam Career and Technical Center, where he studies physics, chemistry, and statics. He hopes one day to become an engineer. He also does track and won sixth place for pole vault at State.